WASHINGTON — The Democratic Party found itself in chaos on Friday as frustration and anger erupted over Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to support a Republican funding bill. This bill allows former President Donald Trump to continue slashing the federal government, leaving Democrats divided between avoiding a government shutdown or taking a stand against the GOP.
Schumer’s reluctant support for the bill sparked intense backlash from progressives, with protesters gathering outside his office and calls for him to face a primary challenge in 2028. Many Democrats felt betrayed, believing Schumer had surrendered a rare opportunity to force Trump and the Republicans into negotiations.
In the end, nine other Democratic senators — mostly from swing states or those retiring — joined Schumer in advancing the bill, which passed late Friday with support from Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Angus King of Maine.
For months, Democrats had been struggling to regain momentum after their election losses and Trump’s aggressive actions. Schumer’s decision to back down at a crucial moment left many in the party furious.
Progressives argued that a government shutdown would have forced Republicans to compromise. However, Schumer believed that a shutdown would only hand Trump more power and place the blame on Democrats for disrupting government services.
“A shutdown would allow the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to accelerate its agenda,” Schumer warned on the Senate floor.
Despite Schumer voting against the final version of the bill, which only required a simple majority to pass, House Democrats expressed their anger on social media. Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana posted a photo of Schumer and Trump talking, captioned, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Even Schumer’s longtime ally, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, criticized the move. “Neither option is good for the American people,” she said, adding that Democrats should have supported a 30-day stopgap plan instead of the GOP’s proposal, which cuts $13 billion in non-defense spending while increasing defense funding by $6 billion.
House Democrats, who had overwhelmingly rejected the bill earlier in the week, called on Senate Democrats to show more resistance. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries insisted, “We don’t want a government shutdown, but we’re not afraid of a showdown.”
Other Democrats, like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, urged the party to find “collective courage,” comparing the situation to the 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama.
Progressive groups like Indivisible and MoveOn warned that Senate Democrats would face a fierce backlash from voters. Nearly 80% of Indivisible’s activists supported primary challenges against Democrats who supported the GOP bill.
“Allowing Trump and Musk to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is unacceptable,” said MoveOn spokesperson Joel Payne.
With little support from his own party, Schumer found himself isolated. Even Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia suggested that the party should seek new leadership in the coming years.
In the end, Democrats felt trapped by a unified Republican Party that had successfully pushed the bill through the House and left Washington.
“We’re stuck with two bad choices,” said Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, who voted against the bill but acknowledged the difficulty of Schumer’s position. “These are tough, tough calls.”
